District of



No. 626,364. Patented lune 6, I899.

R. G. GALLUM & J. W. FRITCH. AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Shoets$baet I.

No. 626,364. Patented June 6, I899. R. G. CALLUM & J. W. FRITGH.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

(Applicatiun filed Feb. 23, 1899.\ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ms uonms PEYERS co" Pnoro-umo wAsnma'rom a. c

No. 626,364. Patented June 6, I899. R. G. GALLUM & .l. W. FBITCH.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1899.) Model 7 4 Shank-Shae! a THE NORRISPETERS cov PHo'mLrmcu WASHNGTON. a. c.

Patented June 6, I899.

R. a. cALum &,J. w. FRITCH.

AUTOMATIC FiBE. ALARM SYSTEM.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheeis-Sheet 4.

Tn: nonms vzrans 00.. moro'uma, wnnmsron, u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ROBERT G. CALLUM AND JOHN WV. FRITGH, OF \NASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA; SAID FRITCH ASSIGNOR TO SAID OALLUM.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 626,364, dated June 6,1899.

Application filed February 23, 1899. Serial No. 706,575. (No model.)

To all 2072,0111 it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT G. OALLUM and JOHN W. FRITCH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire- AlarmSystems, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the class of firealarm systems in which awarning or precautionary and a second or fire signal are automaticallytransmitted to a central or receiving station, the first or warningsignalindicating the presence of undue heat and the second indicatingthe presence of fire, or that the temperature is above a predetermineddanger-point at the place signaled from.

In a system embodying ourinvention each building included within thesystem is provided with signaling transmitting instruments placed atsuch points upon each floor thereof as may be deemed most liable todanger from fire, and all of said instruments are included within aclosed metallic circuit connected with receiving or recordinginstruments located at a central station, in the usual manner. Thesesignal-transmitting instruments, which will hereinafter be referred toas the warning-signal instruments,are each provided withcircuit-breaking wheels driven by suitable clockwork for transmitting tothe central station a signal indicating the building and the floor orpoint therein where such instrument is located. The clockwork of eachinstrument is connected with a thermostat in such a manner as to betripped or released thereby when thesurrounding temperature rises to orabove a predetermined degree of heat. Each building is also providedwith an annunciator connected with and operated by the clockwork of eachwarningsign al instrument therein, so that parties in the building maybe promptly notified of the existence and location of a fire occurringtherein, and as the clockwork of the warning-signal instrument must atall times be wound up and reset after each operation we have soconstructed and connected the annunciator that after it has beenoperated by any of the instruments with which it is connected it cannotbe reset until attention has been given to the particular instrument 'orinstruments indicated thereon.

The signal transmitted to the central station by a warning-signalinstrument and indicated by the annunciator in the building where suchinstrument is located is intended to indicate the presence of undue heatat the particular point signaled from in order that the cause thereofmay be promptly removed, if possible, without the aid of the firedepartment; but incase the warning-signal should be neglected and theheat continue to increase we have provided for automatically operating astreet fire-alarm box, which may be one of the boxes provided by themunicipal authorities and connected directly with the fire-engine housesor it may be a special box in the same circuit with the warning-signalinstruments. In either case said box is provided with an electromagnetfor starting the mechanism in a manner well known, and saidelectromagnet is included within a local circuit controlled by thethermostats of the warning-signal instruments, as will be hereinafterdescribed.

After a detail description of a system embodying our invention thefeatures deemed novel will be specified in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of somuch of a firealarm system as is deemed necessary for a properunderstanding of our invention. Fi 2 is a front view of thewarning-signal instrument. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same with theback plate of the casing removed for disclosing the interior mechanism.Fig. at is a longitudinal sectional view through the easing of theWarning-signal instrument, show ing the interior mechanism in side View.Fig. 5 is a front view, and Figs. 6 and 7 detail views, of the clockworkfor rotating the circuit-breaking wheels.

In the warning-signal instrument A, illustrated in diagram in Fig. 1 andin detail in Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, there are two circuitbreakingwheels 13 and O, rotated successively by separate trains of gearingpropelled by a single spring, as will be hereinafter explained. Thesecircuit-breaking wheels are each provided with notches for interruptinga circuit in the usual way, and both are in closed circuit with acentral station by a wire D, which is connected with a contact spring orbrush d in contact with circuit-breaking wheel B and with a contactbrushd in contact with the circuit-breaking wheel 0, so that current willpass from brush (Z to circuit-breaking wheel B, through the variousparts of the clockwork to circuitbreaking wheel 0, and out by way ofbrush d. The circuit-breaking wheels B and O are rotated by separatetrains of gearing, eachprovided with its own starting and stoppingmechanism. The train controlling the wheel B is started by the action ofa thermostat E and that controlling the wheel 0 by the action of thetrain controlling the wheel B after the latter has performed its serviceof transmitting a signal to the central station. The driving-spring F issecured to a shaft f; but instead of controlling a single driving-gearsaid spring is connected for driving either of two separate gears,eachcontrolling independent trains connected, respectively, Withthecircuit-breaking wheels B and O. The driving-gear b is rotativelymounted on the springshaftfand drives the train controlling thecircuit-breaking wheel B. The driving-gear c rotates with the shaft fand drives the train controlling the circuit-breakin g wheel 0. Theinner end of the spring F is connected to the shaftfin the usual manner;but instead of having its outer end secured to a fixed stud it issecured to the driving-gear Z), so that the latter may be driven whilethe gear cremains stationary or the gear 0 driven while the gear I; isstationary, as will be readily understood. The shaftfand gear 0 arerotatively coupled together by a ratchet and pawl in the usual manner,so that the shaft may be turned for winding the spring, and said shaftprojects to the outside of the casing a and is provided with a handle f,as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The driving-gear b meshes with a pinion on shaft 1), to which is securedthe breakwheel 13 and a gear 19 the latter driving a train consisting ofgear 17 on shaft 12 gear 11 on shaft b", and toothed wheel b on shaft 11the latter carrying a fan I)", and each shaft is provided with a pinionmeshing with its driving gear in the usual manner. The toothed wheel bis engaged and disengaged for stopping and starting the train by a ping, carried by a lever g the latter being moved toward and from thetoothed wheel by a lever h, fixedly mounted on a shaft h and held in itsdepressed position by a spring 71 at tached to an arm or stud h atthe'end of the shaft h, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Pivoted at a pointabove the lever h is a bell-crank lever i, one arm' of which carries-ahook i, engaging with a ,pin or stud i on the lever h, the other armbeing provided with a forked end engaged by a pin at the end of aleverj, pivoted at j and extending downwardly for engagement withmechanism connected with the thermostat, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Thethermostat E is a sensitive helical coil the lower end of which is heldstationary and the upper end free to wind and unwind with changes"intemperature, after the manner of coils employed in ordinarydial-thermometers, and in order that said coil may also act as athermometer we have provided a dial G and pointer 70, the latter beingconnected to the coil by means of a pinion and toothed sector in theusual way. Pivotally supported by a suitable stud Z is a bell-cranklever L, the upper arm Z of which lies in the path of a pin 6, attachedto the free end of the helical coil or thermostat E, so that saidbellcrank lever will be moved by said pin at a predetermined degree ofheat by the unwinding of the thermostat-coil. of the bell crank lever Lis provided with a latch or hooked end Z which engages a pin 9' on thelower end of the leverj for holding the latter in proper position whenthe instrument is set ready for use. The bell-crank lever L is weighted,as at Z for maintaining it in proper Working relation to the thermostatand the lever j. It is now to be understood that the adjustment betweenpin a and the upper arm of the bell-crank lever L is such that the leverj will only be released from engagement with the lower arm of thebell-crank lever when the temperature reaches the degree of heatdetermined upon as that for which a warning-signal should be given. Thelever j after being released is moved by a springj away from thebell-crank lever L, which causes the bell-crank lever 2' to raise thelever h. This in turn raises the lever g and releases the pin g fromengagement with the toothed wheel b and permits the circuit-breakingwheel B to revolve, as will be readily understood. If the leverj beallowed to remain in the position to which it is moved by the spring 7'the circuitbreaking wheel will continue to revolve until the spring Fhas spent its force. It is desirable that a signal be repeated asufficient number of times to guard against possible error in reading;but as 'the spring F is relied upon for revolving the circuit-breakingwheel 0 after the wheel B has performed its service we provide forautomatically stopping the latter after it has completed threerevolutions. Upon the circuit breaking wheel B is a pin or projection 3'which engages an arm or project-ion 011 the level-j and moves the latterback to a point a little beyond its original position upon the firstrevolution of the wheel B, the pin upon the subsequent revolutions ofthe circuit-breaking Wheel performing no service so far as the leverj isconcerned. The bell-crank lever L having been moved by the thermostatfrom the path of the pin 3' at the lower end of the -lever j, a latch mis provided for engaging said pin and holding the lever j to theposition to which it has been moved by the pin on the circuit-breakingwheel B. The latch The lower arm Z m is pivoted to the stud Z,supporting the bell-crank lever L and is weighted, as at m, for insuringproper latching engagement. At theinner side of the driving-gear b andsurrounding the spring F is a concentric flange 7%, provided at twodiametrically opposite points with openings or slots 7L5 b and on theunder side of the lever h is a lug or projection h, which when the trainis at rest rests in one of said openings. \Vhen the lever h is raisedfor starting the train, the lug 7t is sufliciently above the flange h topermit the rotation of the driving-gear b, and the lever 7b is held inits raised position by the hook 2: of the bell-crank lever i until theleverj is moved rcarwardly by the circuitbreaking wheel B. Thedriving-gear I) having then carried the opening h past the lug h, thelatter rests upon the flange 7t and prevents the descent of the lever ituntil the slot or opening 7&5 at the opposite side of the flange isbrought beneath the lug 7b, the lever h being then permitted to descendand cause the pin g upon lever g to engage-the toothed wheel I) and stopthe train, as will be readily understood.

If the lever 7i be permitted to descend, the moment thesupporting-flange passes the lug h the edge of the flange or the side ofthe opening it will be in such close contact with the lug as to beliable to bind and prevent the lug from being withdrawn, and thus renderthe device wholly unreliable. We have therefore provided for holding thelever him its raised position until the opening it" which is somewhatlarger or wider than the lug h,-

is exactly central beneath the lug, so that the latter may enter freefrom contact with either edge thereof. Pivoted at n is a bellcrank leverhaving an arm n projecting in the path of the pin 7' on thecircuit-breaking wheel B and its other arm n projecting beneath the pini on the lever h, so that when the arm n is acted upon by the pin j thele vcr h will be supported in its raised position by the arm 11 Thecircuit-breaking wheel B is geared to make three revolutions to one halfof a revolution of its driving-gear b, and the pinj is so locatedthereon as to engage the arm n of the bell-crank lever just before theopening 7&5 in the flange 77. reaches the lug h on the lever h and torelease the same the moment the opening 7&5 is central beneath the lugh. The arm a is acted upon by the pin j" at each revolutionof the wheelB, but during the first two revolutions the lever h is maintained in itsraised position by the flange on the driving-gear and it is only at theend of the third revolution, when the opening in the flange reaches thelug 7L6, that the support of the lever 71 by the arm n is required.

ing-gear in the usual manner.

completed the transmission of its signal the circuit-breaking wheel 0 isset in motion by its driving-gear c, which, with its starting andstopping mechanism, is a substantial duplication of what has alreadybeen described in connection with circuit-breaking wheel B. Thedriving-gear c meshes with a pinion on shaft'c', to which is secured thecircuit-breaking wheel 0 and a gear 0 the latter driving a trainconsisting of gear 0 on shaft 0 gear 0 on shaft a, gear 0 on shaft 0 anda governor-fan c on shaft 0 each shaft being provided with a pinionmeshing with its driv- The starting and stopping mechanism consists of alever o, loosely mounted on shaft h and carrying at its outer end a rodor arm 0, having a slot 0 which, when the lever is in its depressedposition, engages and holds a lever 0 in the path of a pin 0 on the gear0 The rear end of the lever o is attached to a light spring 0 whichraises its forward end out of the path of the pin 0", when permitted todo so, by the raising of the lever o. The lever 0 has a forked rearwardextension 0 and is held in its depressed position by a spring 0 Looselymounted on shaft h is a lever 19, arranged in the path of two pins p 19,carried by the driving-gear b, and at the opposite end of said lever isa pin 19 which engages the forked end of the lever o. The pins 19" 9 arelocated upon the gear I) at diametrically opposite points in position toraise the lever 19 just before the gear I) is stopped in its rotation bythe stopping mechanism connected therewith. The raising of the lever 19by one of the pins 10 causes the lever o to be raised for permitting thelever 0 to be moved by its spring out of the path of the pin 0 on thegear 0 This allows the train to be revolved by the spring F, through thedriving-gear c,

and after the circuit-breaking wheel 0 has completed three revolutionsthe train is antomatically stopped in the same manner as beforedeseribed in connection with circuitbreaking wheel B. The lever 0 isprevented from descending and stopping the train before the proper timeby a lug 0 which rides upon a flange 0 on driving'gear c, said flangebeing provided with two diametrically opposite slots or openings 0" ofor receiving said lug and stopping the train, as will be readilyunderstood. The lever 0 is prevented from descending until the slot 0 iscentral beneath the lug o by a spring-actuated lever 9, which is pushedbeneath a projection 9" on the lever o and released therefrom at theproper moment by a pin 1 on the circuit breaking wheel 0, as will bereadily understood.

Now referring to Fig. 1, it is to be understood that while we haveillustrated but one warning-signal instrument the line-wire D may extendto any number of buildings, and it includes within its circuit all ofthe warning-signal instruments in each building. At the central stationis the usual recording in- IIO strument II and attention-bell I,operated so through all the instruments back to battery K. When theclockwork of a warningsignal instrument is set in motion by the actionof its thermostat, the circuit-breaking wheel B is caused to revolve andby means of the notches therein to break the current at intervals, thenumber of breaks being recorded at the central station ,and indicate thenumber of the building in which the instrument is located. After thisnumber has been repeated three times, the wheel B is automaticallystopped and circuit-breaking wheel 0 rotated,as already explained,thelatter breaking the current in the same manner and recording at thecentral station a number, corresponding to the floor where suchinstrument is located. As already explained, these signals, accuratelylocating the point of disturbance, are-intended as a warning that thetemperature is above a predetermined degree of heat, and that immediateattention is required to prevent serious damage.

In order that occupants of the building may also receive prompt warningof disturbance therein, each building is provided with a closed-circuitannunciator, (illustrated at M inFig. 1.) This annunciator is providedwith as many indicators or drops 8 as there are warning-signalinstruments within the building. .Each drop 5 is held by anelectromagnet .9, included within a closed circuit extending to awarning-signal instrument,where it is connected to a circuit -breakingdevice to be presently referred to. In the annunciator are two bars s 8coupled by wires 5 8 respectively, to opposite poles of a battery N. Ineach warning-signal instrument there are two spring-contacts t and i,the former projecting in the path of the pin 9' on leverj, so

' as to be moved thereby, and separated from contact 25' when the leverj is moved rearwardly by the circuit-breaking wheel B. When the leverjis in its normal or working position,

the contacts t and t are in electrical en gagement; but when said lever,after having been released by the bell-crank lever L, is .moved back bythe pin 9' on the circuit-breaking wheel Bit is carried beyond itsoriginal position in order that the pin may engage the end of contact Ifand move it away from contact t, the latch m holding it in thisposition, as already explained. The contact 25 is connected by wire 15to one coil of an electromagnet s, the

other coil of said magnet being connected to bar 8 Contact t isconnected by wire 15 to bar 8 Each warning-signal instrument is coupledto the annunciator in the manner described, and it will be seen thateach magnet thereof is in a normally-closed circuit from battery Nthrough wire s to bar 8 thence through the coils of all theelectromagnets s by way of wires t thence to spring-contactt in eachwarning-signal instrument, through contact i and wire 23 to bar 8 andback to battery through wire 8 It will now be understood that thebreaking of a circuit by the separation of contacts t and t in any ofthe warningsignal instruments will cause an electromagnet of theannunciator to release a drop 5, and thus indicate that a particularwarning-signal instrument has been operated. In order that attention maybe attracted to the operation of the annunciator, the drops 8 areconnected to battery N, and in proper relation to each drop is a contact8 also 0011-. nected to battery N, so that when a drop falls it willcomplete a circuit, in which is included a bell O in the usual manner.

With any automatic signaling apparatus dependent for its operation uponclock mechanism there is a liability of the clockwork being run down ata time when it is most needed. The warning-signal instrument abovedescribed, unless it be wound'up and reset after after each operation,will fail to respond to the next disturbance, which might be of aserious character and cause great loss of prop erty. This we guardagainst by the closedcircuit annunciator and its connections. After awarning-signal instrument has been operated the lever j is held by thelatch m, and the pin 7' upon said lever holds the contacts t and tapart, and the annunciator-drop controlled thereby cannot be reset untilthe contacts are again brought together. It is therefore necessary torelease the lever j from the latch m. This is done by pulling the ring mattached to said latch, as shown in Fig. l. The cause of the operationof the instrument having been removed, and the temperature consequentlylowered, the bell-crankleverL will be in position to engage the lever jupon its release from latch m, the instrument then being set ready foraction. When the party goes to the instrument to pull the ring m inorder to reset the annunciator, he resets the Warning-signal instrumentand at the same time his attention is called to the position of apointer f with relation to a dial f The pointer f is attached to thespringshaft f of the clockwork, and when the spring F is wound up thepointer registers with the letters O K on the dial; but when theinstrument has been operated the shaft f makes a half-turn and thepointer f then points to the words Run down. The party seeing this givesa half-turn to the handle f, which rewinds the spring and returns thepointer to the O K mark.

We have so far described our system with reference to the warning-signalonly. Now in case the warning-signal should be neglected or the causethereof be not removed in time and the heat continue to rise above apredetermined danger-point we have provided for automatically operatinga street fire-alarm box, one of which is illustrated at P, Fig. 1. Thesestreet boxes are located at various points throughout the districtcovered by the system and may be in a separate circuit communicatingdirectly with the fire engine houses or in the same circuit'with thewarning-signal instruments communicating to the central station, asillustrated in Fig. 1. The signal from a street-box designates a certainsection or district, and each warning-signal instrument within thesection or district is operatirely connected with the box, as will nowbe described. Within each warning-signal instrument are threespring-contacts an M The contact a is normally in electrical cont-actwith contact a and projectsin the path of an insulated block orprojection 1L3,

carried by the movable end of the coil or thermostat E, so that saidcontact will be moved out of engagement with cont-act 'lb and intocontact with contact a when the temperature reaches a predetermineddegree of heat above that required for sending a warning-signal. Eachbuilding is or may be provided with house-boxes for enabling thestreet-box to be operated by hand in the event of a fire occurring at apoint unprotected by a warningsignal instrument. These boxes, of whichthree are shown at V, V, and V are of a wellknown form, in which aswitch is shifted from one contact plate to another for making orshifting the direction of a circuit. The streetbox P is operated by anelectromagnet w in a normally open circuit, which when closed.

pulls a trip for starting the signal mechanism inthe usual manner. Onecoil of the electromagnet w is connected by wire 20 to springcontactu,the other coil of said magnet being connected by wire 20 with one poleof a battery R, the other pole of said battery being connected by wire10 to springcontact 10 The house-boxes V, V, and V are each providedwith a switch 1; 1; n normally resting upon contact-plates civ and 12respectively, and each switch is provided with a pull or handle 00 forshifting it to a second contactplate n c u Contact plate c of box V istapped to wire 10 by wire c, and the switch u of said box is connectedby wire 11 to contact-plate of box V. The contact-plate o of box V istapped to wire 20 by wire o and its switch 1; is connected by wire 11to-contact-plate 1: of box V The contact-plate c of box V is tapped towire 20 by wire r, and its switch 1: is connected by wire 1 tospringcontactu. It will now be seen that with the several parts in theposition shown the magnet of the street-box P is in open circuit; butshould the switches of any of the house-boxes be shifted from thecontact-plate with which it is in contact to the adjacent plate thecircuit will be closed and the street-box operated. For instance, if theswitch '0' of box V be pulled to contact-plate '0 the current will passfrom battery B through wires 20 and v to contact-plate '0 to switch n,to contactplate 71 switch 0 wire i1 spring-contact u, spring-contact 10,wire w, to magnet 13, and back to battery by wire 10 Now after awarning-signal has been given and the temperature continues to rise to apredetermined higher degree of heat, the spring-contact u is moved bythe thermostat away from contact 16 and into contact with spring-contact162. This also closes the circuit controlling the operation of thestreet-box and sends in an alarm of fire. The current passes frombattery B through wire to to spring-contact 10 through spring-contact itto magnet to by wire Q08, and thence back to battery through wire'wHaving thus described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a normally closed electriccircuit including electric signal receiving or recording instruments, awarning-signal-transmitting instrument in said circuit, clock mechanismfor operating said warningsignal instrument, an annunciator or othersignaling instrument controlled by the movement of said clock mechanism,a fire-alarm signalinginstrument operated by an electromagnet, anauxiliary circuit controlling said electromagnet, and a thermostatadaptedto trip the clock mechanism of the warning-signal instrument whenthe temperature rises to a predetermined degree of heat, and to make orbreak the auxiliary circuit when the temperature rises to apredetermined higher degree of heat, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a normally-closed electriccircuit including electric signal receiving or recording instruments, awarningsignal instrument in said circuit consisting of a pair ofcircuit-breaking wheels, clock mechanism fordriving said wheelssuccessively, an annunciator or other signaling instrument controlled bythe movement of said clock mechanism, a fire-alarm signaling instrumentoperated by an electromagnet, an auxiliary circuit controlling saidelectromagnet, and a thermostat adapted to trip the clock mechanism ofthe warning-signal instrument when the temperature rises to apredetermined degree of heat and to make or break the auxiliary circuitwhen the temperature rises to a predetermined higher degree of heat,substantially as described.

3. In a fir ealarm system, the combination of an electricsignal-transmitting instrument operated by windable mechanism, aclosedcircuit annunciator, and means whereby a circuit of theannunciator will be opened by the operation of said instrument and keptopen until said instrument is set for another operation, substantiallyas'described.

4. In a fire-a1arm system, the combination of a series ofsignal-transmittinginstruments, each controlled by a thermostat forautomat- LOO ically transmitting a signal when the temperature reaches apredetermined degree of heat, a circuit-breaking device in eachinstrument controlled by the operation thereof, an annunciatorconsisting of a series of drops or indicators, each controlled byanelectromagnet, all of said magnets being coupled in closed multiplecircuit and each including within its circuit the circuit-breakingdevice of one of said transmitting instruments, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of asignal-transmittinginstrument operated by suitable clockwork, a latch, alever normallyengaged by said latch and adapted to startthe clockwork ofthe transmittinginstrument when released therefrom, a thermostat adaptedto move said latch and release said lever when the temperature reaches apredetermined degree of heat, a second latch in the rear of thefirst-mentioned latch, and means controlled by the clockwork for movingsaid lever in engagement therewith, whereby the instrument may be resetby releasing the lever from said second latch, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a signal-transmittinginstrument operated by suitable clockwork, a latch, a lever normally inengagement with said latch and adapted to start the clockwork whenreleased therefrom, a thermostat adapted to move said latch and releasesaid lever when the te m perature reaches a predetermined degree ofheat, a second latch in the rear of the first-mentioned latch, meanscontrolled by the transmitting instrument for moving the lever inengagement with said second latch, a circuit-cont'rolling device in linewith said lever and adapted to be operated thereby, and an annunciatoror other signaling instrument in circuit with said circuit-controllingdevice, substantially as described.

7. In a fire-alarm system the combinationlatch, means controlled by theoperation of the transmitting instrument for moving the lever inengagement with said second latch, electric contacts adapted to beseparated by said lever when in engagement with said second latch andclosed when released therefrom, and an annunciator or other signalinginstrument in circuit with said contacts, substantially as described.

8. In an electric signaling instrument the combination of twocircuit-breaking wheels for transmitting separate signals, clockwork fordriving first one and then the other of said wheels a predeterminednumber of times, mechanism for starting and stopping said clockwork, andathermostat connected therewith and adapted to operate the same forstarting said clockwork at a predetermined degree of heat, substantiallyas described.

9. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a signal-transmittinginstrument operated by suitable clockwork, a spring for operating saidclockwork, a pointer connected with said spring for indicating thecondition thereof, a thermostat connected with mechanism for startingsaid clockwork at a predetermined degree of heat, a closed-circuitannunciator, and means controlled by the movement of said clockwork forbreaking the circuit of the annunciator, substantially as described.

10. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a normally-closedelectric circuit including electric receiving or recording instruments,ofa series ofsignal-transmitt-ing instruments operated by suitableclockwork, a spring for driving the clockwork of each instrument, apointer connected with said spring for indicating the condition thereof,an annunciator consisting of a series of electromagnets each in a closedelectric circuit and controlling an indicator or drop, acircuit-breaking device in each signal-transmitting instrument incircuit with an electromagnet of the annunciator and adapted to beoperated for breaking said circuit when the signal-transmittinginstrument is operated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our handsin presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ROBERT G. OALLUM. JOHN W. FRITOI-I.

Witnesses:

JOHN MOO. GLovER, HENRY W. REED.

